Vacuum container and method of using thereof

Abstract

A vacuum container has a cap with a recess port on the top thereof, and an aperture on the bottom side of the recess port to receive a strut type button. The button has a retaining flange on a lower side to press the bottom wall of the cap. There are air vents around the aperture. The button further has a membrane extending outwards to cover the air vents. A vacuum cylinder can be coupled with the recess port to withdraw the air in the container to form a vacuum condition. The invention integrates the vacuuming and pressure releasing structures into one body at a smaller size, thus can be used on a small container. A plurality of smaller containers can be housed in a vacuum chest. While the vacuum chest is vacuuming, the smaller containers are also being vacuumed at the same time.

1 . A vacuum container, comprising: 
 a container and a cap coupling with the container, the cap having an aperture on the top thereof, at least one air vent around the aperture and an annular groove on the bottom thereof to hold a leakage-preventing ring inside; and    a strut type button which is inserted into the aperture and has a retaining flange on a lower side to press the bottom surface of the cap and a membrane extending outwards from a middle portion thereof to cover the air vent.    
   
   
       2 . The vacuum container of  claim 1 , wherein the cap has a recess port on the top, the aperture being located on the recess port.  
   
   
       3 . The vacuum container of  claim 1 , wherein the button and the membrane are joined at a juncture which has an indented bending rim.  
   
   
       4 . The vacuum container of  claim 1 , wherein the button has a through hole in the center, the membrane being covered by a hollow cap type vacuum indication member from above that has a top spacing from the top of the button so that the top of the vacuum indication member is sinkable.  
   
   
       5 . A method of using a vacuum container, comprising: 
 providing a vacuum chest for vacuuming; and    housing at least one vacuum container in the vacuum chest.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the container includes a cap coupling on an opening of the container, the cap including: 
 an aperture, at least one air vent around the aperture and an annular groove on the bottom thereof to hold a leakage-preventing ring inside; and    a strut type button which is inserted into the aperture of the cap and has a retaining flange on a lower side to press the bottom surface of the cap and a membrane extending outwards from a middle portion thereof to cover the air vent.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the vacuum chest is electrically driven and includes a control means, the control means including: 
 a motor;    a control panel to control activation of the motor;    a button on a face panel of the vacuum chest to be electrically connected to the control panel by a circuit;    a piping which has one end leading to the interior of the vacuum chest and other end connecting to the motor;    a check valve located on the piping to control air intake and discharge; and    a sensor connecting to the control panel to detect vacuum conditions of the vacuum chest and control stop operation of the motor.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the vacuum container housed in the vacuum chest includes a smaller container held in an intermediate container which is held in a larger vacuum container.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the vacuum container housed in the vacuum chest includes a plurality of smaller containers held in the vacuum chest in a stacking manner, the bottom and the top containers respectively having a cap coupling on the top thereof, the cap of the bottom container serving as a base of the container in the middle.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the vacuum container housed in the vacuum chest includes a larger container housing a plurality of smaller containers.